Adjustable wheel set of golf bags

ABSTRACT

A golf bag includes a base with a U-shaped notch and a wheel set is connected to the base. The wheel set includes a shaft which extends through the notch and two guide members are axially movably connected to two ends of the shaft. Two wheels are connected to two respective outsides of the two guide members. Each guide member has an extension rod which is inserted into the notch and are movably engaged with a V-shaped groove defined in a top surface of a fixed plate in the base. An activation unit has a link and includes a movable member which has a cooperation groove. The two guide extension rods of the guide members are movably engaged with communication portions of the V-shaped groove and the cooperation groove. By pulling the link, the two wheels are pulled toward each other.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a golf bag having an adjustable wheelset wherein the distance between two wheels can be shortened whenstorage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional golf bag generally includes a shoulder strap so that theuser or the caddy may carry the gold bag on his or her shoulder.However, the gold clubs are so heavy so that many users choose theirgolf bags with wheels which provide a effort-saving way to move theheavy golf clubs in the golf bag. The distance between the two wheels ofthe golf bag is fixed and should be wide enough to support the golf bagand narrow enough to save space when storage. Nevertheless, the fixeddistance cannot meet the two different requirements which are conflictto each other.

The present invention intends to provide an adjustable wheel set for agolf bag wherein the distance between the two wheels can be adjusted soas to meet different requirements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a golf bag which comprises a base and awheel set is connected to the base and has a shaft which extends througha notch defined in a side of the base. Two guide members are axiallymovably connected to two ends of the shaft and each guide member has anextension rod which is inserted into the notch. A guide protrusionextends radially from a distal end of each of the extension rods. Twowheels are connected to two respective outsides of the two guidemembers.

A fixed plate is fixedly received in the base and has a V-shaped groovedefined in a top surface thereof. The two extension rods of the guidemembers are movably engaged with the V-shaped groove and the guideprotrusions extend out from the top surface of the fixed plate from theV-shaped groove.

A support tube has a first end fixed to the base and a second end of thesupport tube has a club frame through which golf clubs are inserted. Anactivation unit has a link extending through the support tube and a pullrod and a push rod are respectively connected to two ends of the link.The push rod is located in the base and has a movable member connectedthereto which is located in the base and opposite to the support tube.The movable member has a cooperation groove defined in an undersidethereof. The two guide protrusions of the guide members are movablyengaged with communication portions of the V-shaped groove and thecooperation groove. The movable member has at least one block which ismovably engaged with the at least one guide groove defined in the topsurface of the fixed plate.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the golf bag with the adjustablewheel set of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view to show the adjustable wheel set of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view to show the adjustable wheel set of thepresent invention, wherein the two wheels are not pulled toward eachother;

FIG. 4 is a top view to show when the two wheels are not pulled towardeach other;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view to show the adjustable wheel set of thepresent invention, wherein the two wheels are pulled toward each other,and

FIG. 6 is a top view to show when the two wheels are pulled toward eachother.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the golf bag of the present inventioncomprises a base 10 having an open top and a U-shaped notch 11 isdefined in a side thereof. A wheel set 20 is connected to the base 10and includes a shaft 21 which extends through the notch 11. Two guidemembers 22 which are two positioning disks 23 in this embodiment and aguide tube 24 and an axle 27 respectively extend from two opposite sidesof each of the two positioning disks 23. Each guide tube 24 includes along slot 240 and two pins 28 extend through the two long slots 240 andare connected to two ends of the shaft 21, so that the two positioningdisks 23 are axially movably connected to two ends of the shaft 21. Eachpositioning disk 23 includes an extrusion rod 25 which extends from thesame side as the guide tube 24 on the positioning disk 23. The extensionrods 25 are inserted into the notch 11 and a guide protrusion 26 extendsradially from a distal end of each of the extension rods 25. Two wheels29 are connected to two respective axles on outsides of the two guidemembers 22.

A fixed plate 30 is fixedly received in the base 10 and has a V-shapedgroove 31 defined in a top surface thereof. The two extension rods 25 ofthe guide members 22 are movably engaged with the V-shaped groove 31 andthe guide protrusions 26 extend out from the top surface of the fixedplate 30 from the V-shaped groove 31. Two guide grooves 32 are definedin the top surface of the fixed plate 30 and parallel to each other.

A retaining tube 40 is inserted in the base 10 and located above thenotch 11. The retaining tube 40 has a slot 41 and a first end of a curvesupport tube 50 is fixed in the retaining tube 40 and a second end ofthe support tube 50 has a club frame 51 through which the golf clubs canbe inserted therethrough.

An activation unit 60 has a link 61 extending through the support tube50, and a pull rod 62 and a push rod 63 are respectively connected totwo ends of the link 61. The pull rod 62 is connected to a handle 620.The push rod 63 is located in the base 10 and has a movable member 64connected thereto which is located in the base 10 and opposite to thesupport tube 50. The push rod 63 of the activation unit 60 extendsthrough the slot 41 of the retaining tube 40. A base board 70 isreceived in the base 10 and in contact with a top of the movable member64. The movable member 64 has another V-shaped cooperation groove 65defined in an underside thereof. The two guide protrusions 26 of theguide members 22 are movably engaged with communication portions of theV-shaped groove 31 and the cooperation groove 65. The movable member 64have two block 66 which are movably engaged with the guide grooves 32 soas to guide the movable member 64 to linearly move relative to the fixedplate 30.

The support tube 50 has at least one hole 52 which is located close tothe frame 51 and the pull rod 62 has at least two springs 67 and one ofthe at least two springs 67 extends from the at least one hole 52 of thesupport tube 50. A bag 80 is wrapped around the base 10, the support 50and the club frame 51.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, when pulling the handle 620, one of the atleast two spring members 67 are engaged with the hole 52 of the supporttube 50 and the link 61 and the push rod 63 are pulled. The movablemember 64 is stopped by the base board 70 so that it can only movedalong the guide grooves 32 and toward the V-shaped groove 31. The twoguide protrusions 26 are moved outward and the guide tubes 24 are movedoutward along the shaft 21 so as to expand the two wheels 29. The curvesupport tube 50 is shaped such that the user can easily move the golfbag.

When pushing the pull rod 62 into the support tube 50 as shown in FIGS.1, 5 and 6, the spring 67 of the pull rod 62 is engaged with the hole 52of the support tube 50 and pull rod 62 drives the link 61 and thecooperation groove 65 which is moved toward the movable member 64 sothat the movable member 64 moves along the guide grooves 32. The guideprotrusions 26 are then moved toward the cooperation groove 65 and movedtoward the center portion of the V-shaped groove 31. The guide members22 are moved toward the shaft 21 such that the two wheels 29 are movedtoward with each other so reduce space occupied by the wheels 29.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A golf bag comprising: a base having a U-shaped notch defined in aside thereof; a wheel set connected to the base and having a shaft whichextends through the notch, two guide members axially movably connectedto two ends of the shaft, each guide member having an extension rodwhich is inserted into the notch and a guide protrusion extendingradially from a distal end of each of the extension rods, two wheelsconnected to two respective outsides of the two guide members; a fixedplate fixedly received in the base and having a V-shaped groove definedin a top surface thereof, the two extension rods of the guide membersmovably engaged with the V-shaped groove and the guide protrusionsextending out from the top surface of the fixed plate from the V-shapedgroove, at least one guide groove defined in the top surface of thefixed plate; a support tube having a first end fixed to the base and asecond end of the support tube having a club frame, and an activationunit having a link extending through the support tube, a pull rod and apush rod respectively connected to two ends of the link, the push rodlocated in the base and having a movable member connected thereto whichis located in the base and opposite to the support tube, the movablemember having a cooperation groove defined in an underside thereof, thetwo guide protrusions of the guide members movably engaged withcommunication portions of the V-shaped groove and the cooperationgroove, the movable member having at least one block which is movablyengaged with the at least one guide groove.
 2. The golf bag as claimedin claim 1, wherein the two guide members are two positioning disks anda guide tube and an axle respectively extend from two opposite sides ofeach of the two positioning disks, each guide tube includes a long slotand two pins extend through the two long slots and are connected to twoends of the shaft, each extrusion rod and each guide tube extend fromthe same side of the positioning disk.
 3. The golf bag as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the two wheels are connected to the two axles.
 4. Thegolf bag as claimed in claim 3, wherein a number of the at least oneguide groove is two and a number of the block is two, the two guidegrooves are parallel to each other and the two blocks are movablyengaged with the two guide grooves.
 5. The golf bag as claimed in claim1, wherein the a retaining tube is inserted in the base and locatedabove the notch, the retaining tube has a slot and the first end of thesupport tube is fixed in the retaining tube and the push rod of theactivation unit extending through the slot of the retaining tube.
 6. Thegolf bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support tube is a curvetube.
 7. The golf bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support tubehas at least one hole which is located close to the frame and the pullrod has at least two springs and one of the at least two springs extendsfrom the at least one hole of the support tube.
 8. The golf bag asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the pull rod is connected to a handle. 9.The golf bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein a base board is received inthe base and in contact with a top of the movable member.
 10. The golfbag as claimed in claim 9, wherein a bag is wrapped around the base, thesupport and the club frame.